Life and politics from the Sunshine State's best city

Chris King - page 8

Even though the 2018 election cycle has barely begun, there’s no question that Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum is quickly learning that his progressive stances are finding enthusiastic responses as he barnstorms the state. “We can win elections in this state again by being Democrats!” Gillum told an enthusiastic group of Florida College Democrats in Tampay, where they were meeting for their spring convention. “We don’t have to obfuscate. We don’t have to run from who we are. We can say exactly who it is we…

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum is breaking from the gate with $765,000 raised for his Democratic gubernatorial campaign in the first few weeks. Gillum’s campaign is reporting Wednesday morning that he has raised that much and has $635,000 on hand at the time of his first-quarter 2017 campaign finance report, through the end of March. Gillum is claiming grassroots support, contending that the donations include 3,500 on-line contributions and have come from 56 of Florida’s 67 counties. It puts him in…

Jack Latvala raised more than $250,000 in the first week of March, much of which was raised in a single day. Florida Leadership Committee, the Clearwater Republican’s political committee, raised at least $252,160 between March 1 and March 6, according to contribution data posted to the committee’s website. The committee received about $244,600 of that sum on March 6, the day before the 2017 Legislative Session kicked off. Top contributors during the brief fundraising period, according to data posted on…

Adam Putnam is poised to have another record fundraising month, laying the groundwork for his likely 2018 gubernatorial run. Florida Grown, the political committee that will fuel Putnam’s likely 2018 run, raised at least $872,841 in March, according to contribution data posted on the committee’s website. That sum is expected to rise to nearly $1.1 million once final numbers are reported to the state Division of Elections in the coming days. “As we travel the state, we’ve seen overwhelming support…

Orlando financial consultant Chris King may still be a few days from formally kicking off his candidacy as a Democrat for governor of Florida, but after a few silent weeks, he’s beginning to step out, first with the hirings of some key staffers, now with some tweets. Word of King’s candidacy began circulating in February and on March 3 he filed his candidacy paperwork. But except for a brief statement issued that day, he’s been publicly silent. On Thursday word got…

Former Rep. Gwen Graham appears to be laying the framework for a 2018 gubernatorial bid. POLITICO Florida reported Tuesday that Graham moved $250,000 from her congressional account, Graham for Congress, to Our Florida, a state political committee created on Feb. 2. State records show the money was given to Our Florida on Feb. 3. Records show the committee’s chairwoman is Stephanie Toothaker, an attorney with Tripp Scott. According to POLITICO Florida, she served as special counsel for former governor and…

Winter Park businessman Chris King is mulling a 2018 Democratic run for governor in Florida, sources close to him said Monday. While not highly active in Central Florida political circles, King, president and CEO of Elevation Financial Group in Winter Park has been exploring prospects, with national consultants based in Washington D.C., of an outsider’s run with a mixture of liberal social and business-oriented views. Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Obama alums Larry Grisolano of AKPD Message and…